232 [Senate 



come out workers, as the instincts of the bees are directed by the size 

 of the cell to nurse as nature requires. 



Now, as the queen becomes perfect and usually hatches in seven 

 or eight days after the larves is removed from the workers to the 

 queen's cell, and that too several days sooner than her sister's larvse 

 that remain in their cells and become workers, I am inclined to be- 

 lieve that all the eggs are naturally females in their original state, 

 and the larvae that is removed for a queen is nursed on a more pun- 

 gent food than others, and facilitates a more perfect development of 

 the female organs in the queen, and hastens her growth to a perfect 

 winged insect, even several days earlier than the drones can be, 

 which hatch three or four days earlier than the workers. 



The extreme animosity which subsists betwixt females of this tribe 

 of insects is so great, that but one queen can live in a hive any great 

 length of time, before a battle must be fought betwixt them, and a 

 victory won so as to exclude all competition to royalty. It would 

 seem that the laws of nature in this respect might prove inefficient, 

 and both sovereigns fall in the conflict, which would overthrow a 

 whole community. But the unerring law of nature has its fixed 

 principles, and affords perfect protection and security to one of them. 

 I have often witnessed this wonderful display of nature's instinctive 

 laws, by placing two queens in a glass cylinder, so that I could ob- 

 serve every act of hostility, and in all cases the conflict is marked 

 with the same features, and ends in like results. Although the strug- 

 gle is much longer in its duration with diff'erent queens, yet but 

 one weapon is ever used, and but one method is ever adopted in 

 wielding it. I have known hostilities to commence instantly, when 

 introduced to each other; and again with others I have thought I 

 could discover a kind of reluctance, like two men who would be glad 

 to' avoid the duel if their honor would not sufl"er, and remain some 

 time looking at each other in a sort of reflection before the deadly con- 

 flict. I have known them to make an assault upon each other, and 

 loose their hold. But when the two conflicting queens have made 

 their hold firm and strong, this bold is never broken until relieved by 

 death. The motions are all " instanter," quick as sight, except the 

 struggle for victory. The queens, during the conflict, are hugged, 

 breast to breast, facing each other, with their legs and arms around 

 upon the back of each, like two boys wrestling at the back hug, in 

 such a manner as to bring their bodies in close contact as possible, 

 one lying on her right side and the other on her left. Now the 

 reader will see that the abdomen of each are close to and front- 

 ing each other. Now comes the struggle which is tremendous; they 

 have not the power to curve their abdomen back, nor sideways very 

 much, for it would only give her competitor the advantage should 

 they do either if they could. Hence the queen, possessing superior 

 strength or agility, or perhaps both, curves her body, and enters the 

 fatal sting into the lower region of the chest of her antagonist, which 

 kills her in an instant, and the two bees are apart the next. The 

 least motion is not often seen in the conquered queen, except a slight 

 trembling in her limbs. In trying these experiments, I have known one 



